Team San Angelo

A blog style newsletter for cycling, running, multisport, and wellness in the San Angelo, Texas region. New blog posts are typically added once a week unless something really important happens sooner than that.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Do you think you're a strong cyclist, able to ride long distances in
harsh conditions over rough
terrain? Could you do a long bike tour
carrying camping equipment and food on your bike?

If so, try replicating the ride that a group of Army soldiers in the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps did in June and July 1897.

As
part of a "field test" to determine the effectiveness of bicycles for
transporting infantry troops long distances, this group of hardy
cyclists rode, pushed and carried their bikes 1,900 miles from Fort
Missoula, Mont., to St. Louis.

The Bicycle Corps officer who led
the expedition was Lt. James Moss, a West Point graduate and avid
cyclist. His volunteer soldier-cyclists were all Buffalo Soldiers from
the 25th Infantry Regiment.

Their route went from Fort Missoula
to Yellowstone and then southeastward through Wyoming, South Dakota,
Nebraska and Missouri to St. Louis.

The "two-wheeled forced
march" took 41 days to complete with 34 days of actual cycling. The
soldier-cyclists averaged almost 56 miles per cycling day with an
average speed of 6.3 mph.

Rough and unpaved dirt tracks made up
the majority of the route, with roads being so bad that the soldiers
often dismounted and pushed their bicycles on railroad tracks. Expedition reports indicate that the soldiers pushed or carried their bikes for almost 400 of the trip's 1,900 miles.

One
of the bivouac points during this cycling expedition was at the site of
the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which took place 21 years earlier.

The Military Specification bicycles they rode were manufactured for the military by the AG Spalding Co. Each of the heavy and cumbersome steel-framed bikes weighed 32 pounds.
When fully loaded with blanket roll, tent, rations and extra clothing, the total weight of each bicycle was 59 pounds.

In
addition to the bicycle and field gear, each soldier also carried a
10-pound Krag-Jorgensen rifle with 50 rounds of ammunition.

The
Spaulding military bicycles used by the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps had
only one gear (single speed), with a gear-inch ratio of 68 inches. That
gearing would be about the same as a modern single-speed bicycle
equipped with a 36-tooth front chain ring and a 14-tooth rear cog.

On
July 24, the infantry cyclists completed their trek and rolled into St.
Louis. The St. Louis Star newspaper noted that the soldiers had
completed "the most marvelous cycling trip in the history of the wheel
and the most rapid military march on record" at that time.

This experiment by the 25th Infantry wasn't the first time that bicycles had been tested by various military units. Both the United Kingdom and France had experimental bicycle units as early as 1886.

The
first documented combat use of bicycles occurred in 1895-96 during the
Second Boer War, during which cyclists served as messengers.

The
use of bicycles continued during World War I with bike-mounted infantry,
scouts and messengers being used by the Italian Bersaglieri light
infantry as well as in the German and British armies.

Japan used
an estimated 50,000 bicycle troops during its 1937 invasion of China,
and the Finnish army deployed bicycle units as the spearhead of its
attack during its 1941 campaign against the Soviet Union.

In
1997, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded the
development of a tactical folding mountain bike designed for use by
airborne rangers. This bike, manufactured by Montague, had a 500-pound
load-carrying capacity and would quickly fold into an air-droppable
package.

Although the military use of bicycles today hasn't
changed significantly from what the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps did back
in 1897, the next military bicycle evolution may be about ready to
happen.

A researcher in Japan has modified a small bipedal robot
and configured it to ride a bike just as a human would (Google
"PRIMER-V2 robot"). The future could include ground-based robotic "surveillance cyclists" pedaling through combat zones performing military tasks.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

I raced my third Cyclocross National Championships this past Thursday in Austin, Texas, joining

2,000 other racers who came to test their fitness and technical skills on the challenging course in Austin's Zilker Park.

2,000 other racers who came to test their fitness and technical skills on the challenging course in Austin's Zilker Park.

The fitness was there, but my ability to maintain speed and apply power through the technical sections of the course was sub-par compared to the top racers in my category.

After turning in a poor performance in last year's icy and snow-packed race in Boulder, Colorado my year-long goal was to finish in the top 10 in this year's event.

With that goal in mind, I spent most of the past year focused on training for this year's Nationals, doing base miles, tempo rides and strength training during Feb, March, April and May before transitioning to a structured cyclocross training program in June.

The structured program included many miles of 15-20 minute threshold intervals, trail rides on my CX bike, some running, skill work such as barriers and run-ups, VO2 max efforts and endless miles of hard race simulation laps on a practice course.

Unfortunately, I did not accomplish the top 10 goal, finishing 16th in the Master's 65-69 field of 22 racers.

I was positioned to achieve the top 10 goal, but two critical mistakes during the race coupled with a less than stellar job of keeping the speed up through the technical sections dropped me down a few places.

Although I was staged in the back row of my field since I didn't earn many USAC points during the season (only two races), I moved up to mid pack by the time we hit the first dirt section with my heart rate 'comfortably' just a beat or two over my threshold.

Shortly after that, I made my first mistake by running into a rider who stalled in front of me on a short hill. The resulting dab and loss of speed let several racers pass me.

Later in the race, I completely biffed a right hand off-camber corner and ended up falling into the course marking tape. Again, I lost several places while getting upright and then having to run up the short but steep climb that followed the corner.

My gut feeling is that unless I figure out how to improve my technical skills, I'll need a flat and fast course with the only technical sections being off-the-bike run-ups to crack the top 10 in my age group.

I can also keep racing until I'm in the really old age groups that have less than 10 racers :)

Speaking of older racers, I had a 'race encounter' with the ageless Walt Axthelm of Durango, Colorado who won this year's 80+ category.

His field started 20 seconds behind my 65-69 group, but by the 2nd lap of the race he had bridged up to my wheel and was telling me to " Go - go- get off the dammed brakes" as we traversed through a section of off-camber turns and steep ups and downs in a ravine.

Axthelm continued to stay right me through laps 3 and 4, rolling faster than me and some other 65+ riders through the technical sections. The only places I could gap him were on the flats and run-ups. He says his normal training partners in Durango are all fast racers in their 50s.

During the Thursday open pre-ride of the course, the weather was sunny and 70 degrees. That changed dramatically Tuesday evening as a cold front ushered in frigid temperatures and a forecast for rain, mud and sleet for the Wednesday through Sunday championship events.

When I started warming up at 7:30 am on the morning of my race the air temp was 23 degrees with a reported 16 degree wind chill. It did not warm up much by the 9:00 start time.

My race kit for the day for the day was double socks with plastic bag over the toes, duct tape over the vents in my cycling shoes, medium tights over thin tights, two long sleeve base layers under the bike jersey, polypro liners inside wind shell gloves and an insulated skull cap under the helmet. During warm-up I also had wind pants over the tights and a down jacket.

The Zilker course was a challenging 3.5 kilometer per lap loop adjacent to Barton Springs pool that includes pavement, rolling sections through rough grass, run-ups over limestone outcroppings and plank barriers, and challenging descents that drop 75-100 feet down the face of the park's ridge line.

The starting stretch was a 400 yard gradual uphill on pavement that veered off onto a bumpy up-and-down grass/dirt section with multiple 90 to 180 degree corners in loose dirt and numerous 'curb ramps' where the course crossed streets.

After reaching the flatter high part of the course, the route headed back down toward the start area

with multiple descents that terminated in sharp off-camber corners leading to immediate short steep climbs back up the hill.

Most corners on the descents had frozen mud ruts and rough washboard areas making bike handling skills and a 'no-fear' attitude important while riding on narrow 35 mm or smaller tires cyclocross tires. Since I lack both great technical skills and the 'no-fear' attitude I lost quite a bit of time through these sections.

There were two longer descents including a rough and rutted dirt downhill and an interesting wooden ramp that bridged down over a 6 foot limestone cliff. Each of the descents terminated in a 180 degree turn back uphill into dismount and run-back-up sections.

There were three dismount/run sections and several more run-ups if riders who failed to stay upright through the rutted off camber corners that preceded short up-hills. Two of the run-ups were over rough natural rock outcroppings that climbed 15 to 25 vertical feet up the ridge with the 3rd section being a double set of 16" high plank barriers situated on an uphill stretch of grass.

One of the things that I've done for many years (in every sport I've competed in) is to do a post-season and post-race analysis to determine what I need to improve on for the next event or next season.

My list is long this year, but there are also a few bright spots such as an improved threshold based on field test heart rates, no crashes this year that resulted in injuries, and no difficulty with steep run-ups.

Here's the 'to do' list that reflects what I need to improve on during the off-season and the strategies I'll use to make those improvements.

1. Improve technical skills on corners and descents: Do more mountain biking, ride my CX bike more on mountain bike trails and (whenever possible) do these rides with other riders who are more skilled than I am.

2. Improve 'no fear' attitude: This is largely related to #1 above since better skills will improve my confidence in sketchy situations, but ... I'm also considering enhancement surgery to see if some bigger 'brass boys' will help :)

3. Improve power on short steep climbs: Do more hill workouts (especially big gear uphill intervals), spend more time in the weight room, and find a practice course that has more difficult uphill power sections.

4. Regain running fitness during the off-season: This one sounds strange, but my best cross seasons happened during a period when I was training for and racing duathlons and running events during the spring, summer and early fall. I'm going to add in more trail running and duathlon workouts (bike/run bricks) this year to see if that results in a higher fitness level and more overall strength and agility.

5. Build a stronger endurance base: This involves all of the above, but I suspect that that increasing my miles and total workout hours during the off season will let me train harder later in the year and - as a side benefit - will help me lose a little more weight. I'm currently around 184 and think that I would race better at about 175. The mileage goal for this year is 5,000 or more.

That's it ... the season is over ... time for a few easy weeks and then time to start training for the 2015-2016 CX season.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Many of you made New Year’s resolutions that involve losing weight and getting back into shape.

You’re not alone — most Americans need to make (and follow through) with that same resolution. Statistics indicate that 69 percent of people over the age of 20 are overweight (BMI of 25-29.9) and within that group 35 percent are considered obese (BMI over 30).

The good news is that — over time — overweight individuals can lose the flab, increase muscle tone and reverse the effects of too much food and not enough exercise.

Simply put, weight loss means burning more calories than you take in and it takes approximately a 3,500 calorie deficient to burn one pound of fat.

Eat less food, cut back on high-calorie drinks such as beer and soft drinks and increase the amount of exercise that you do.

‘Calories burned’ is the sum of exercise calories plus your basal metabolic rate with basal metabolism accounting for approximately 70 percent of all calories burned. You can approximate your base metabolism using a calculator such as the one online at bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator.

Your base metabolism will stay about the same or even decrease somewhat as you age, although you can ramp it up with cardiovascular exercise and strength training that builds muscle.

Increasing the amount of lean muscle is good because it burns more calories than fat, thus increasing your base metabolism.

Lack of exercise intensity is one key area where many people fall short related to burning calories during exercise.

Short slow walks with your dog or those twice-weekly ‘no sweat’ 20 minute workouts in the gym, while still beneficial, will not accomplish what’s needed if you’re trying to lose weight and tone muscles.

Instead, you need to consistently exercise long enough and at a high enough intensity to really make a dent in those fat cells.

Aim for at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, five to six days a week, with a combination of low intensity aerobic exercise (60-65 percent of your maximum heart rate), some high intensity (75 percent of max heart rate or higher) and several days that include strength training.

You can get an estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and then use a heart rate watch to make sure you’re ‘in the zone’ during workouts.

One good way to structure your fat-burning exercise program is to do at least two days per week of higher intensity interval sessions (body pump, spin classes or interval workouts on gym equipment) with one or two days of lower intensity aerobic exercise between each of the high intensity days.

Fast walking or walk/jog is also a great way to get your heart rate up and burn calories. Start with 20-30 minute sessions on a treadmill or on a soft dirt/grass surface (avoid pavement). Warm up with a brisk walk for a few minutes, then alternate one minute of fast walking with one minute of easy jogging. Gradually increase the length and speed of the ‘run’ segments (i.e., two minute run and one minute walk; three minute run, etc.).

You can do the same type of interval workout on an indoor or outdoor bicycle. Warm up with easy riding, then go harder for 1-2 minutes, relax and spin easy for recovery and repeat that cycle for 20-30 minutes.

Add in strength exercises on several of the days and you’ll have a solid program that, when coupled with smart eating habits, will result in a slow erosion of the pounds that you’re wanting to lose.

One additional suggestion is to keep a workout journal. Write down the minutes per day of exercise, note what the workout(s) were, track your daily weight and then calculate your average weight for each week. The data in the journal will keep you honest about what you’re actually doing and it also lets you look back and see what worked based on weight and fitness improvements.

My final tip is to set some goals with a time line. Establishing goals means you’re working toward something instead of just working out. Goals can be something like ‘lose five pounds by May 1’ or ‘complete a 4-mile walk in 70 minutes by June 15.’

Last but not least, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any type of new exercise program.

Remember — the best weight loss formula is to eat less and exercise more.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Overall, the trends this past year were more people taking part in run/walk events, a decline in road bike cycling and fewer local cycling events.

There was increased participation in local triathlon events during 2014 with the primary increase being people taking part in the shorter ‘sprint distance’ events.

As noted above, running continued to be popular with most of the same events from 2013 taking place again this year. Several new events were held, including the West Texas half-marathon, the Christoval Vineyards half-marathon and 10K, and the Goodyear Race for Celebration.

Trail running continued to grow in popularity with the Shannon Trail Running Series, Dinosaur Trail Run and the Crazy Desert Trail Run being some of the popular running events during the past year.

On a down note, several of the running events that had previously been held on the Angelo State University campus either did not take place in 2014 or were significantly smaller than in the past.

Triathletes had three local events to enjoy during 2014, including the Lake Nasworthy sprint triathlon, the Goodfellow triathlon and the new San Angelo triathlon last August.

The San Angelo triathlon, which included a sprint distance event, team relays and an Olympic distance race, was a welcomed reincarnation of the former Wool Capitol triathlon that was canceled in 2013 after being a mainstay on the local calendar for over 20 years.

Organized cycling activities in San Angelo declined during 2014, continuing a trend that started several years back. As noted in a previous column published back on October 17, the 6-Hour Dinosaur mountain bike event and the small time trials put on by the local cycling club were the only competitive cycling events in San Angelo during the past year.

The ASUFit cyclocross series that was held on the Angelo State campus through 2013 did not take place this year, ending a four-year run for an event that attracted quite a few local cyclists and some out-of-town racers.

Smaller numbers were also evident this year for the twice-weekly Loop Group rides, with only a handful of cyclists showing up each week for what once was large enough to be jokingly called the ‘Tuesday/Thursday World Championships.’

More San Angelo cyclists opted for casual small-group ‘social rides’ on mountain bikes or in areas around the lake parks with fewer people venturing out to ride onto the busy area roads.

The increase in traffic on area highways, rough chip-sealed roads, the lack of in-town cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes and off-street paths and the higher cost of bicycles and related equipment compared to running shoes and clothing were all factors that impacted local cycling activities.

So what can we expect to see during the coming year?

All indicators suggest that the trends from 2013 and 2014 will continue with running remaining strong, triathlon growing somewhat and cycling remaining at about the same level as during the past year.

More cyclists will sift their rides to low-traffic rural roads or mountain bike trails, although the construction of the Red Arroyo trail may encourage casual cyclists to ride in town on the Red Arroyo’s paved routes.

Triathlon participation is expected to grow locally during 2015 with the growth being driven by having three local multi-sport events and also a strong social media marketing campaign by the San Angelo Triathlon promoter. There are also rumors that suggest an off-road multisport event such as a run-bike-run duathlon may be organized.

Remember — 2014 is about to end so it’s time to start training for 2015 events.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

There are only a few more shopping days until Christmas, and you may still be unsure of what to get

Don't despair — just give those athletes socks.

Depending on their sport and the "style rules" your athletes adhere to, you can select from tall socks, short socks, bright colored socks, compression socks, wicking socks, windproof socks or socks that carry a printed message such as ‘dopers suck.'

Selecting workout socks was easier back in the day — you just went to Target, Kmart or Sears and picked up a six-pack of white "athletic" tube socks. Today's athletes are a little more choosy about what covers their foot, so you have to match the sock with the sport and the athlete's personality.

Let's start with cyclists. To make an intelligent decision, you'll have to determine if the person on your list is a mountain biker, road cyclist or a cyclocross racer.

Road cyclists are the most concerned about image and style, so make sure to select socks that won't damage their ego. In general, stay away from short ankle socks (too much of a tennis look), go with black socks only if they are a Lance Armstrong supporter, and above all try to color-match a road cyclist's socks with his/her team colors.

Mountain bikers are generally a more down-in-the-dirt group and thus don't worry about style as much. In fact, some off-road cyclists have been spotted wearing hunting socks from non-cycling vendors such a Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops.

Cyclists who train for and race cyclocross events usually have the most eccentric taste in socks. For this deviant breed, get socks that are tall, funky, garishly bright in color and — if possible — that have patterns to match the cyclist's leg scars and tattoos.

Triathletes deserve a mention although they are not real cyclists since cycling events are never preceded by a swim or followed by a run. Most multisport athletes have serious love affairs with the tall calf-height dorky-looking compression socks that help squeeze blood from the lower legs back up to their brain.

The good news is that you can save money by just buying those athletes a pair of long varicose vein compression stockings from Walgreens or similar medical supply stores. They'll never know the difference.

Runners are somewhat picky about what's between their feet and their running shoes. In general, they'll prefer something ankle-high or shorter that looks fast and saves a couple of grams of weight. Long-distance runners may prefer socks that have a slightly thicker padded underfoot to compensate for the thinly padded ultralight distance running shoes they race in.

Trail runners are a different breed from normal runners and may like slightly taller crew-height socks that are pre-stained in trail dirt and mud colors.

To be honest, most of the difference between the various subcategories of cycling and running socks is the product of great marketing by sock companies.

When in doubt, just ask the salesperson at your cycling or running store. Believe everything they tell you — maybe.

Remember — it's important to select appropriate gift socks for an athlete.
for the athletes on your list.

Monday, December 15, 2014

I was part of a 25-person group of San Angelo residents who met on June 4th, 2004 to begin discussing current and future needs for non-motorized transportation
infrastructure such as bike/pedestrian paths and trails in San Angelo.

This forward-thinking group realized that San Angelo lagged far behind other communities related to bike paths, sidewalks and related venues for cycling, running and fitness.

Subsequent meetings of that group, working with the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, resulted in San Angelo's City Council contracting with the Wilber Smith Associates consultant group to develop a comprehensive Bike/Pedestrian plan for the city (sanangelompo.org/plans.php).

The consultant group's report listed the construction of a multiuse bike and pedestrian trail through the Red Arroyo 'greenbelt' area as being one of the first projects that San Angelo residents wanted the city to complete.

More than a decade after the initial focus group meeting was held, construction has finally started on that trail project with the projected completion date being mid-July 2015.
Although the Red Arroyo trail is the first major project being done as part of the Bike/Pedestrian plan implementation, it's much more than just a paved trail.

The final product will be a 'remodeled' open space area stretching from Sherwood Way to Knickerbocker Blvd that includes approximately 4 miles of meandering 14 foot wide concrete paths providing recreational and non-motorized transportation routes for cyclists, runners and walkers.

Karl Bednarz, PE, the manager of the Engineering Services Division for the city, notes that the overall trail project will include three major trailhead access points at Sul Ross, Millbrook and Unidad Park, seven neighborhood trail access points, a restroom located at Unidad Park, five bridges across the arroyo, multiple storm water detention ponds and park benches at selected locations.

"We’ve started the pond excavation, sidewalk construction, parking lot construction at Unidad Park and bridge foundation placement," says Bednarz. "Pond excavation should be completed by mid March, sidewalk construction by the end of April, bridge construction by mid March and the parking lots by mid February."

"Concrete trail construction will begin early April and be completed by early June, and the contractor is scheduled to wrap up the entire project by mid July 2015."

Money from several sources is being used to fund the Red Arroyo project.

"The overall project contract price is $3,870,893," says Bednarz. "Approximately 80% is funded by a Federal Transportation Enhancement Grant and 20% is funded by the City of San Angelo (approximately $325,000 from ½ cent sales tax funds designated for general park improvements and $475,000 from storm water funds)."

When completed, this project will help support San Angelo's on-going transformation to a more active community where residents spend time engaged in healthy outdoor exercise.

You'll see people on the trail as they bike commute or walk to school or work, families 'hitting the pavement' for an evening stroll, mothers pushing baby carriages along the route and groups using the trail for run/walk events.

The construction of the Red Arroyo trail may also lead to the implementation of other initiatives that leverage the paths and associated open space.

Businesses and schools near the arroyo (such as Angelo State University) will be able to establish bike/pedestrian routes from their location to the nearest trailhead, a dog park has been proposed adjacent to the trail in the arroyo and off-road cyclists and runners are envisioning a network of dirt paths through the Red Arroyo open space.

One additional benefit of the project is that the Red Arroyo trail, when completed, could relieve some of the congestion on the KOA loop by providing current KOA loop runners and walkers with an alternative car-free place to exercise.

The Red Arroyo trail is a positive step toward making San Angelo a more bikeable and walkable city, and it's the first of what will hopefully be many bike/pedestrian projects that serve all parts of our community.

Remember - the vision developed by that bike/pedestrian committee ten years ago is starting to become a reality.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Over the past several weeks, I’ve listened to cycling friends curse the ‘joy’ of battling 30 mile per hour or higher winds during their bike workouts.

I’ve also been doing my share of whining about the wind.

Like it or not, the wind does blow a lot here in West Texas so if you enjoy cycling (especially on the road) you have to deal with the wind, use it to your advantage where possible and look forward to those great days when the wind is light.

According to weatherspark.com, our highest average wind speed occurs in late March when we often see an average daily maximum wind speed of 20 mph.

Days with stronger winds gusting to 30 mph or more can happen during any month of the year.

Combine the actual wind velocity with the ‘apparent wind’ generated by a bike’s forward motion and — on a breezy day — you may be feeling that you’re always riding into a 30 mph or stronger breeze.

There are skills and strategies that will make riding in the wind easier, and more importantly — you can also use the wind to your advantage as relates to getting stronger on the bike.

Let’s start with route selection for windy days.

Whenever possible, you want to start your ride headed into the wind. This means that you’ll be ‘riding uphill’ on the outbound leg (more on that later) and can then enjoy the tailwind ‘descent’ after you turn around and head home.

During colder months, starting out into the wind also means you’ll avoid going into a cold headwind after you work up a sweat.

A direct headwind is also a little safer since you don’t get blown side-to-side as much compared to riding with a gusty side wind.

Another smart strategy is to ride laps around a short loop on the really windy days to avoid having strong head or side winds for extended periods of time.

One of my favorite ‘windy day loops’ in San Angelo is a 5.5 mile per lap route that follows Knickerbocker Road from the swim beach past the airport to Spillway Road, through Spring Creek Park and then back to Knickerbocker via Fisherman’s Road.

Depending on your pace, each lap will require 15-25 minutes and you’ll never spend more than 1.5 miles going straight into the wind.

Smart equipment selection will also help make windy days more pleasant. Although deep section ‘aero’ wheels look good on a bike, they tend to be much harder to control in strong winds (especially side winds). If possible, save the deep section wheels for calmer days or races.

When riding into a strong wind, remember that when the wind speed doubles, the force of the wind increases by a factor of four. What that means in a practical sense is that gusts of wind or even increases in your forward speed will have a magnified effect.

The best way to deal with pedaling into the wind is to select a gear that allows you to maintain a comfortable pedaling cadence of 85-90 revolutions per minute or higher while monitoring your effort via perceived exertion (‘how hard it feels’) or by using a heart rate monitor.

Don’t ‘blow up’ by trying to go too fast or by attempting to push a very hard gear — instead, imagine that you’re pedaling up a long constant hill and try to use a similar level of effort.

Since riding into the wind is very similar to riding up a long hill, windy day rides can be beneficial related to developing bike-specific strength and power.

We don’t have long extended climbs in our part of the state, but you can use windy days to simulate climbing by doing long rides or interval repeats into the wind.

As an example, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound cyclist riding at 15-20 mph headwind will have to produce slightly more power (watts) than the same cyclist moving at 15 mph up a 6 percent grade.

If you want to compare the power required for into-the-wind vs. uphill climbs for your size and weight, try using the online calculator at kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm.